CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY RAMBLING CLUB
Michaelmas Term 2006
Welcome back to the Rambling Club. Once again, we invite you to leave the city for a few hours this term, and enjoy the surrounding countryside with us. The pace of our walks is generally easy, as our main aim is to relax and appreciate the local scenery and villages, and we have tried to provide a mixture of walks of different lengths, as this is exam term. We usually stop at a village pub en route, but you should bring a packed lunch and a drink anyway as occasionally a walk doesn’t pass a pub, or we find that a pub is closed. Strong boots and waterproof clothing are also recommended. Your only expense is the bus or train fare (given below), plus our £1 annual membership fee. There is no need to sign up in advance to join any of this term’s walks – just turn up at the time and place given. Our meeting points are:
Bus/Coach: At the corner of Drummer Street and Emmanuel Street. Train: In the main hall of Cambridge Railway Station.
Saturday 14th October: The Traditional “Freshers’ Ramble” Cambridge to Waterbeach 6 miles Contact: Victoria
This is an excellent opportunity to find out about the rambling club, and get to know a little of the local area. We will stroll gently along the River Cam to Waterbeach, where we will stop at the pub, before catching the train home again.
Meet: 2pm on the Quayside next to Magdalene Bridge Return: 17.35 train from Waterbeach, arriving back in Cambridge at 17.44. Cost: £2.20 for the train, or £1.45 with a railcard.
Tuesday 17th October: Pub Meet, The Granta, 8pm
This pub meet is especially aimed at giving new members the chance to find out more about the club, and meet some fellow walking enthusiasts. Of course, ‘older’ members wanting to catch up after the summer break are also very welcome to come along! Turn up at any time from 8pm onwards.
Saturday 21st October: “Ab’s Archaeological Adventures” Anglesey Abbey to Wandlebury 9 miles Contact: Ab
Anglesey Abbey isn’t quite as far from Cambridge as you might think – it’s actually located in the small village of Lode just a few miles north-east of the city centre, and it’s here that we will start this week’s walk. From the remains if the Augustinian Priory we follow the Harcamlow Way alongside Quy Water, then through Little Wilbraham Fen towards Fulbourn, where we will stop for lunch. Then we head off into the high hills, to visit Copley Hill tumulus, before arriving at Wandlebury Country Park.
Meet: 09.45 at the bus station for the 10.00 bus to Lode. Return: 15.09 bus from Wandlebury, arriving back in Cambridge at 15.35. Cost: Approximately £4 for the bus fare.
Sunday 29th October: “From open fen to Cambridge suburb (or nearly)” Stretham to Histon 11 miles Contact: Steven
This week we'll be exploring the fens to the north of Cambridge. Starting from the village of Stretham, we'll pass the historic Stretham Old Engine (pumping station) before heading through Chear Fen to Twenty Pence Road. From here we'll follow Cottenham Lode to the village of Rampton and then turn south to Histon, from where we'll catch the bus home.
Meet: 11.15 at the bus station for the 11.30 bus to Stretham. Return: 16.42 bus from Histon, arriving in Cambridge at 17.00. Cost: Approximately £4 for the bus fare.
Saturday 4th November: “It’s back, and it’s better than ever… ” Haverhill Circular 12 miles Contact: Lara
Haverhill is fast becoming one of our more popular rambling areas (watch out Audley End…), possibly because it offers some more undulating countryside than can be found elsewhere in East Anglia. From Haverhill, we head for Withersfield on our route towards the twin villages of Great and Little Thurslow, before stopping for lunch on the Suffolk boundary. From Great Thurlow, we join the Stour Valley path looping south-east towards Kedington, then back to Haverhill.
Meet: 09.20 at the bus station for the 09.35 bus to Haverhill Return: 16.20 bus from Haverhill, arriving in Cambridge at 17.35 Cost: £4.20 for the bus fare For photos, the forum and more information about the club, have a look at our website: www.srcf.ucam.org/curac
Thursday 9th November: Pub Meet, The Castle Inn (on Castle Hill), 8pm
Come and join us for a drink and a ramble of the conversational variety.
Sunday 12th November: “Obelisks and Periwinkles ” Royston Circular 11 miles Contact: Victoria
This walk explores some of the Hertfordshire countryside to the south-east of Royston. Taking us first along the Hertfordshire Way, we come to the village of Reed, where we will encounter some medieval fishponds, a Motte and Bailey castle, and Periwinkle Hill. Then it’s on to Newsells Park to see the obelisks, before following Bogmoor Lane toward Barley. We return to Royston on the Icknield Way.
Meet: 10.00 at the rail station for the 10.19 train to Royston. Return: 15.36 train from Royston, arriving back in Cambridge at 15.55. Cost: £4.70, or £3.10 with a railcard [Return to Royston].
Tuesday 14th November: Meal Out Contact: Victoria
Victoria will be sending out an email containing further information nearer the time.
Saturday 18th November “ Where the Ramblers end up in the Reservoir…” Grafham Water Circular 14 miles Contact: Geoffrey
This walk takes us north of Cambridge, to visit the beautiful countryside around St. Neots. Starting from the village of Buckden, on the eastern shore of Grafham Water, we aim to make a complete circuit of the reservoir. From Buckden, we head across fields to Grafham village, then pick up the lakeshore path, which will take us most of the way around the lake. A quick diversion away from the water on the Three Shires Way will lead us past Hangman’s Spinney, and then back to Buckden.
Meet: 08.25 at the bus station for the 08.40 bus to St. Neots. Return: 16.05 bus from Buckden, to connect with the 16.47 bus from St. Neots, arriving back in Cambridge at 17.25. Cost: Approximately £4 for the bus fare.
Sunday 26th November: "A Stately-Home Crawl" Audley End to Wimpole Hall 23 miles Contact: Jane
We’ve heard that National Trust Houses sell nice ice-creams – so we plan to visit two in one day! We start the day by visiting Audley End House, close to the town of Saffron Walden, then set off towards Strethall, where we pick up the Icknield Way Path. This takes us to meet Chris Hall and Anthony Hill, before we pass Goffers Knoll on the way to Melbourn. For those people not wanting to walk the full distance, there is the option of returning home by train from nearby Meldreth station. The more intrepid adventurers and ice-cream-a- holics can continue northwards towards Wimpole Hall, and return by train from Shepreth
Meet: 08.30 at the railway station for the 08.51 train to Audley End. Return: 18.11 train from Shepreth, arriving in Cambridge at 18.27. Cost: The outward journey costs £4.50, or £2.95 with a railcard [Single from Cambridge to Audley End]. The return journey costs £3.30, or £2.20 with a railcard [Single from Shepreth to Cambridge].
Saturday 2nd December: “Holly’s search for a goddess…” Oakham Cicular 15 miles Contact: Holly
Slightly longer and further afield than our usual excursions, this will hopefully be an interesting walk to finish off the term, taking in a different type of countryside from that surrounding Cambridge. From Oakham we will walk through much-contoured farmland, and alongside several streams, to reach Braunston-in-Rutland, where we will stop for lunch. This village is home to the Braunston "goddess", a small but curious sculpted stone which stands in the churchyard! We will then continue past the site of the mediaeval village of Brooke, including the ruins of a priory, before heading towards the edge of Rutland Water which we shall follow for a while and then head back into Oakham to catch the train home.
Meet: 07:45 at the railway station for the 08.02 train to Oakham. Return: 16.42 train from Oakham, arriving in Cambridge at 18.15. Cost: £16.70 for the train, or £11.70 with a railcard [Return to Oakham].
The Rambling Club is brought to you by: Victoria Gregson (Christ’s, [email protected], President) Jane Heward (Peterhouse, [email protected], Archivist) Holly Astley (Newnham, [email protected], Vice President) Ben Fryer (Homerton, [email protected]) Steven Smith (Selwyn, [email protected], Treasurer) Abinand Rangesh (Pembroke, [email protected]) Lara Phillips (Newnham, [email protected], Secretary) Geoffrey March (APU, [email protected])
For photos, the forum and more information about the club, have a look at our website: www.srcf.ucam.org/curac